THE much anticipated results of Listowel's various literary competitions have been released. The Book Of The Year Award (sponsored by Kerry Ingredients) has gone to Emer Martin's Breakfast in Babylon, published by Wolfhound Press. The Full Length Play Award (sponsored by Bank of Ireland) has been won by Mary Hoey from Carlingford, with An Island's Lament. Eel by Laois based John Dunne has won the Short Story Award (sponsored by Powers Gold Label). The Single Poem Award (sponsored by the American Ireland Fund) has been won by Mary Mc Enroy from Leitrim with her poem Fantasia. William Wall has won the Collection of Poetry award with Mathematics. The Bord na Gaeilge prize was won by Deirdre Brennan from Carlow with Na Crainn Thamairisce.

One of Listowel's best initiatives is its Writing in Prisons competition, which brings great hope and joy to winners. This years poetry winners are Garrett Archibald and Alan Flood, while the short story winners are Aaron Ross, Jonathan Morris and Martin O'Meaney. I notice no high profile sponsor's tag here.

Other prizes include the Originals Competition for brand new writers, the Irish Post/Irish Ferries New Writing Competition for Irish writers in Britain, which brings the winners (Anne O'Driscoll from London and Michael Hannon from Nottingham) back to the auld sod, and the A.I.B. competition for young people in which the first prize winners were Claire McGonagle, Robert Kaar and Dolores Lyons.